


The Ways of the Heart

by starscratch



Category: The Arcana (Visual Novel)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Oneshot, Romance, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-22
Updated: 2019-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-17 22:01:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,324
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21517129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/starscratch/pseuds/starscratch
Summary: I know the title is sappy and corny but it fits. This is just a fluff piece that I wrote one day. I use my apprentice's name, but I don't really describe her so you can read in yourself or your apprentice. If you like it, please feel free to let me know through comments or kudos or however you want. Any feedback would be great. Anyway I hope you enjoy
Relationships: Asra (The Arcana)/Reader, Asra/Apprentice
Comments: 2
Kudos: 58





	The Ways of the Heart

The stars twinkle in the endless night sky, as they were having sudden bursts of energy and fits of giggles. To me, they always look as if they are talking to each other, making sure their fellow stars know that they aren’t alone. It’s a nice thought, knowing they’ll never feel alone; that is if they can feel at all. I’d like to think so at least. I can only hope my life will mimic their example. Stopping for a moment, I laugh at myself. I say that and yet here I am, walking through an empty street, all alone. How ironic. My lips twist up in a slight smile.

As I take a step forward, a flash of blue darts around my feet. I jump out of my skin and off of my feet, falling backwards onto the rough cobblestone below. Scrambling back up to my feet, I scan the ground around me frantically. A sigh of relief quickly follows. Before me stands a wiggling blue noodle. She is obviously proud of herself. I drop my head and laugh at my own jumpiness. “Faust,” I call out. “You know I hate it when you sneak up on me like that.” Her little black eyes look up at me mischievously in a way that is all too familiar. She knows all to well how much I dislike other serpents. I shake my head slightly as I extend my hand out to her. Ever the troublemaker. She slithers up to my hand and climbs up to rest on my shoulders. Flicking out her tongue, she gives my ear a little affectionate tickle, and a giggle escapes me before my stomach drops slightly. If she’s here, he isn’t far away.

My heart skips a beat as his face comes to mind. Those curious eyes; that bright smile; his chiseled features… Faust’s tongue tickled my cheek, snapping me out of my daydreaming. Asra, I think I hear her say, and heat immediately floods to my face. I’m almost positive I’m beet red. I’m always forgetting how in tune she is to emotions. “That’s between you and me, understand?” I scold her playfully. When I cast a sidelong glance at her, I swear I see her nod. But she’s his familiar, I remind myself. There are no secrets between them.

I sigh. We’re just friends, I tell myself. I’m just blowing everything out of proportion, reading into every little thing. The way he held my hand… touched my shoulder… his shameless teasing. Was he flirting with me? No, no of course not. He’s just being nice and friendly. I feel Faust gently curl around my neck as I sigh. Under normal circumstances, I’d freak out that she knew, but everything is slowly eating away at me. It’s been like this for months. He consumes my thoughts like a plague; even in the most menial things I find my thoughts wondering and lingering around him. I swear I have seen his face shimmering in a bottle of herbs I was getting for a customer. And I suddenly care about how I look or how clean the store is whenever he’s around. Whenever he touches me, I can still feel his fingers lingering on my skin long after he has pulled away. A nervous chuckle escapes me as I remember how I set an entire batch of healing poultices on fire when he teased my about my hair. Its getting absolutely ridiculous.

“Faust…” it comes out as a whisper. I stop walking again. “…What’s wrong with me?” I turn to look at her, expecting the answer that would never come. She just gazes at me with her little eyes, and I can see my reflection. My cheeks are bright red, as I suspected they would be. Shaking her head slightly, she stuck her tongue out at me like she was calling me silly. I sigh. Nothing I could tell her would surprise her; she already knew it all. And if she knew, he probably did too. It didn’t help maters that I haven’t exactly played off my feelings well. He must feel so pressured to keep leading me on, to not ruin our friendship. I haven’t even said anything about it yet and he probably already feels awkward around me. Maybe even hates me. What have I done?

She shakes her head again. No. No? No what? No, he doesn’t feel the same? No, he doesn’t want to be friends anymore? No, he never wants to see me again? I feel her body tighten around my neck. No. Two ‘no’s?! What’s that suppose to mean?! Utterly hopeless, I plop down on the empty sidewalk and hide my face in my hands. This shouldn’t even matter! I’m a magician! I can literally just make all of these thoughts and feelings go away. We can still be just friends! I just need to change, to forget… My shoulder slump. Now I know I’ve really lost my mind. Forgetting how I feel wouldn’t solve anything, and there is no telling what side-effects a spell like that would cause. I’d just be lying to myself, to him, to everyone, to the entire universe. Lying never did me any good, considering I suck at it. Propping my chin up in my palms, I suppose I could try to just go on hiding it. But how long could I go on like this? I’m pretty sure its already driven me insane.

…Or I could just tell him. It hit me like a ton of bricks. If my soul could leave my body, it would have. That idea was not only stupid, but insanely terrifying. There is no way he’d ever feel the same… He’s so talented and smart and funny and wonderful, and I’m just. I’m just a herbologist who can do a few tricks. He’s so out of my league, its not even funny. He could have anybody in the world, so why would he want me? Then again, if he already knows, I’ve already embarrassed myself. He probably thinks I’m a fool. But if I tell him, maybe I could move on, or at least regain my sanity. I look over to Faust.

“I have to tell him, don’t I? That’s the only way out of this, isn’t it?” She blinked. I dropped my head in between my knees dramatically. “I don’t need to hear you. That’s a yes.”

An exasperated sigh leaves my lips, and I stand again. I just aimlessly start walking. Hopefully I’m going in the right direction, though taking a long detour doesn’t sound like a bad idea. Faust tightened around my shoulders reassuringly. Water, she flicked her tongue. Water? The docks? The river? I throw up my hands in defeat. Of course its around water… And the beach is the other way too. I spin around on my heels and just start walking. Best case scenario is I don’t even find him, and I never have to tell him. But I owe it to him and myself to try.

The moon slowly rises overhead, and the distant sound of waves find my ears. That’s odd…it should have taken longer. I look back to find Vesuvia far behind me. I look forward and the beach stood right before me. My eyebrows furrowed as I rubbed my eyes to make sure I was seeing straight. Emotions and magic can intermingle, and my guess that my magic is on the fritz because of the… the situation I’m in. Though that is pretty cool. I’ll have to work on perfecting that lat-  
“Yana?” a voice called out.

I look down the beach to find Asra laying down in the sand. He had made himself a little nest with his belongings. My stomach drops at the sight of him. His white hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, and his smile is just as breath taking as ever. Catching myself staring, I forced myself back to reality. I motion to Faust. “I think I found someone that belongs with you.”

His eyes meet Faust, and she raises her head to greet him. Laughing, he reaches out for her. She eagerly uncoils from my shoulders and slithers up his arm, gently giving him an affectionate flick of her tongue. “There you are. I was wondering where you wandered off to. And I see you brought me a friend,” he teases as he glances back up at me. “I am perfectly capable of making my own friends, thank you.”

“That’s an understatement.” I laugh. “I don’t think there is a single person in all of Vesuvia that could resist your charm. How else would you make so much money as a ‘fortune teller?’”

He feigns a wince and covers his heart “Are you implying that my skills have nothing to do with it? Here I thought we were friends.”

Rolling my eyes, I playfully shove his shoulder. “Oh come on, you know as well as I do your pretty face attracts all the ladies looking for a love reading. Now that I think about it, some of the men too.” I shoot him a smug smirk. For a moment, I think I see a faint blush power his cheeks. If I wasn’t already nervous, I’d relish in the payback for all the times he’s flustered me. Like all moments, however, it is fleeting, he is quick to retaliate.

“You’re one to talk, Yana. Over half of the men in Vesuvia would be knocking down your door if you didn’t scare them away with your gritty attitude. But don’t worry, you won’t scare me off. “

Now it was my turn to blush. He chuckled before I glare at him defiantly. That only makes him laugh more, making my heart flutter faster than a humming birds wings. It is so contagious and genuine; the sweetness of it almost makes me sick. He extends his hand out to me as he stands. “Care to walk with me?”

My eyes dart down to his hand nervously before I gingerly accept it. He leads me down the shoreline for a while, eventually allowing my hand to slip through his. Almost like he didn’t want to let go. Maybe he didn’t want to, maybe he could feel the same, maybe- nope! No! Don’t get distracted. I’m on a mission. I open my mouth, but before I could utter a word, he speaks. “So what’s lady like you doing out at a hour like this?” he asks casually.

Speaking of my mission… “I-uh. I was actually trying to find you…” I trail off.

Sensing my hesitation, he smiles. “Well, you found me. What can I do for you? A reading? An ear to listen? A shoulder to cry on?”

“Maybe all three..” I mutter to myself. Unfortunately, he hears it too.

“Goodness, Yana. What kind of mess have you gotten yourself into now?” he asks through a fit of laughter. He takes my hand again and sits down, dragging me down with him. Stuffing his hand into his bag, he pulls out his tarot deck. I immediately roll my eyes. Of course he’d take me seriously. “I didn’t really mean-“

He looks up at me and continues to shuffle the deck. His eyes send me a teasing gaze though snow-white lashes. “Indulge me. Besides, its always fun to read you. Even I don’t know what to expect.” I narrow my eyes and him as he just smirks.

“I don’t know if I should be flattered or insulted.”

“A little bit of both,” he chuckles. With a flourish of his hands, he spreads the deck out before me. He just watches me with expectant eyes. A moment of silence settles between us before I roll my eyes again and sigh. I guess I will indulge him. Maybe the Arcana will take it upon themselves to actually be helpful for once. After I take a deep breath, I close my eyes and hold my hand over the deck. I feel a gentle pull to the right, so I follow it. I place my hand on a group of cards and fiddle with them until my finger grazes the one calling me. Faint whispering caresses my left ear, and I move to the left and pick up the murmuring card. Finally, I look down at all of the remaining cards and find myself staring at one on the far right, so I chose that one as well.

Once I lay out all three of my cards in between us, I look up at Asra. He’s raised an eyebrow. “What? Don’t you want to know what they say?” he asked.

Shrugging, I turn my attention back to the cards and flip over the first one. Three of Cups reversed. I grimace. I have a bad feeling about this one. Asra notices the face I make, and pats me on the shoulder reassuringly. “Reversed doesn’t always mean something bad. Just different.”

The smug fish on the card makes me think otherwise, I think to myself. “What’s this one mean?”

He stares at the card for a moment, thinking. “Troubled past. Unstable familiar relationships. Not the ideal upbringing, emotionally speaking. Now that I think about it, that explains a few things.”

I narrow my eyes at him. “Greaaaaaat.” Because I definitely wanted to remember that. I quickly turn my attention to the second card, the gold accents glimmering in the moonlight. Ace of Cups reversed. My shoulders slump at the sight of another reversed card. I’m starting to think indulging him was a bad idea. Stupid fish and their stupid cups.

“Hmm. Repressed feelings. Frustration. Uncertainty.” I catch him glancing up at me, his eyes carrying a hind of curiosity and… anxiety? Oh no, I hope he doesn’t know where this is going. I really should have just told him already instead of dancing around the bush. But I’m too far gone now, so I quickly flip the last card without even looking at it. At this point, I really don’t care what the Arcana think. “Asra-“

“The Lovers,” he says, somewhat unfeeling. “..Love, trust, happiness. Companionship.” He doesn’t elaborate further. He doesn’t have to.

…What? Did I hear him right? I look down at the last card. The two snakes holding each other seem to look at me fondly, making me feel hopeful. Tell him, they seem say. Tell him. It will be alright. I pick the card up and hold it for a moment. Just touching it renews and validates my feelings, encouraging me to be honest and brave. Looking up at him, I find his eyes locked on the cards. When he notices I’m staring at him, he smiles. Its not quite as warm or inviting as usual. “…Do I know them?” he simply asks.

I don’t need a mirror to know my cheeks flare a bright pink. I try to stutter out a reply, but he stops me, forcing out a faint chuckle. “What? I knew one day you wouldn’t be able to scare everyone off. The cards don’t lie, Yana.”

“You know I don’t really care what the cards say,” I start out bluntly. Probably not the best way to start, but if I stop talking now, I’ll never be able to tell him. “…If you must know, there is someone. But we’re friends, and I don’t know if I should tell him and possibly ruin our relationship. He could have anyone, so why would he pick me?” It all just rushes out like water crashing through a dam. “And if he doesn’t feel the same, I don’t want to make him feel awkward or forced into a corner or that we cant still be friends anymore because I really, really care about him regardless if he feels the same way. I’d hold these feelings in and just stay quiet, but its been driving me nuts! I can’t think straight! I see him everywhere I go, and I always find myself thinking about him. You don’t know what you do to me, Asra!”

My entire souls shrinks down into the pits of my stomach and buries itself where no one can see. That last bit wasn’t suppose to come out of my mouth. I clamp my hand over my mouth a second too late. The inferno on my cheeks burns so bright I’m afraid it will wake up all of Vesuvia and let everyone know hoe much of a fool I am. Before he could reply, I shoot up to my feet and run back towards town, with tears streaming down my cheeks. No no no no! I wasn’t suppose to say that. I wasn’t suppose to say that! I wasn’t suppose to say that! No no no why why why wh-

A hand catches my wrist and pull me back. Golden-brown arms wrap tightly around me, forcing my face against a warm chest. I stand completely still, utterly at a loss of what to do. Like a tidal wave, emotions crush my body. Everything starts shaking: my hands, my legs, so much so I nearly collapse in the sand. Waterfalls pour from my eyes while words burn my throat and lungs. Anything I try to say is incoherent, rushed and jumbled together, even in my mind. All of my thoughts and emotions are racing by so fast, I can’t pick out a single one. I just find fragments that turn into incoherent chains I can’t understand. But I know how they are suppose to feel. All I know is that I’m sorry and scared. I want him to know everything, but I can’t get it all into words. I desperately grasp at the words and force out what I can to convey everything I feel.

But when I finally look up at him, he’s smiling. Why is he smiling? I don’t understand, does he think its funny? He wipes away my tears and cups my cheeks in his hands. What’s going on? What’s he doing? I don’t understand. He rests his forehead against mine. He’s whispering something, but I can’t hear it over all of the thoughts screaming in my head. So I just watch him through blurry eyes until he finally opens his. “It’s okay, Yana. It’s okay.”

Its okay. I know I heard that. His hands leave my cheeks so his arms can hold me upright again. Its okay. I bury my face in his chest and sob quietly. His hand rubs gentle circles on my back, and he tucks my head under his chin. Its okay. Its okay. Its okay.

Long after I stop sobbing, I cling to him. I find my arms wrapped around his neck. Faust curls around both me and Asra supportively. I’m still shaking slightly as I pull away to wipe at my eyes. He catches my arms, insisting on doing it himself. As the pads of his thumbs rub back and forth against my cheeks, he tilts my head upwards. His beautiful violet eyes watch me lovingly as I try to search for some sort of emotional support. Feeling him bring me closer, I feel safe. Protected. Loved. For the first time in what feels like hours, I relax against him. He chuckles quietly, the sound reverberating through his chest. “I didn’t know you felt so strongly about me,” he whispered.

“I’m sorry,” I manage to rasp.

“For what? It’s endearing, and it only makes me feel more strongly for you.” His voice, shakier than usual, like he is struggling with his own emotions. Just hearing him say it almost sends me into another frenzy, but only a few tears breech the surface this time. I rub them away on my arms as I wrap them around his neck again. We stand on the beach quietly after that, with only the sound of the crashing waves to break the silence, for each other for company, and our feelings for each other to warm us.


End file.
